TED Talks Daily (HD video)

Biologist Kathleen McAuliffe dives into new research that suggests certain bacteria in your gut can influence major parts of who you are, from your personality to life-changing neurological disorders. Learn more about how this emerging science could change how we treat disease — and discover the impact of your internal microbial makeup on your mood, weight and more.

"People told me this was an unadaptable book, so the only logical thing to do was to try to adapt it," says writer, producer and filmmaker Ava DuVernay of her work taking the award-winning title "Caste" from page to screen. In conversation with Pat Mitchell, DuVernay talks about the resulting film, "Origin," and discusses her process for turning ideas into pictures that pack a punch.

Storyteller Golriz Lucina recounts how the historic sacrifice of Iranian 19th-century poet and mystic Táhirih planted the seeds for the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests today, offering an inspiring lesson in the value of acting with conviction — even if we don't live to see the results.

After years of brand building, marketing veteran Sylvester Chauke realized that his industry had sold the world on overconsumption, with devastating consequences. He shares how marketers could instead promote sustainability with "honest ads" that do right by the planet and encourage people to think twice before buying.

"I think of my paintings as alarm clocks," says artist Isabella Kirkland. "They're reminders of what's at stake; the only problem is we keep pushing the snooze button." Investigating humanity's relationship to nature, she shares work that takes a creative stand against ecological despair — and quietly urges climate action through permanent images of vanishing wildlife.

Don't second-guess what "distracts" you, says actor-producer Yara Shahidi; that's your curiosity coming through. The star of hit shows like "black-ish" and "grown-ish" tells how she learned to spot clues to her own future — and how you can, too.

What if a robot could find and deliver your lost phone? AI researcher Tara Boroushaki presents how she's using wireless signals and sensors to create AI-powered goggles with "X-ray vision," creating a dynamic new tool with applications from improving efficiency in commercial warehouses to aiding emergency rescues.

How does getting an abortion — or not — influence a woman's life? Demographer Diana Greene Foster puts forward the results of The Turnaway Study, her landmark work following nearly 1,000 women through abortion or childbirth, presenting definitive data on the long-term physical, mental and economic impacts of the right to choose on pregnant people and their families. "Access to abortion is about control over one's body, life and destiny," says Foster.

"Today, Hungary is in the gray zone between a dictatorship and a democracy," says activist Tessza Udvarhelyi. "This did not happen overnight." In a rousing talk, she reminds us just how close any country can come to authoritarianism — and offers on-the-ground lessons for how to keep democracy alive through focus, determination and imagination. (Followed by a brief Q&A with TED curator Cloe Shasha Brooks)

2024 will be a dangerous year for the world, says Ian Bremmer, president and founder of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media. Forecasting the top geopolitical risks set to play out in the months to come, he untangles what's in store for the war in Ukraine, the state of the Israel-Hamas conflict and the tensions putting democracy in the United States to the test — all while AI continues to evolve faster than governments can regulate it. (This interview, hosted by TED's Helen Walters, was recorded on January 8, 2024.)

What would happen to humanity if generosity went viral? Sharing transformative stories from around the world, head of TED Chris Anderson outlines why the time has come for the internet to realize its power to supercharge small acts of kindness, changing lives at a scale never experienced before. Learn how to cultivate a generous mindset — with or without giving money — and get inspired with tools to amplify your impact. "Be brave. Give what you can, and then be absolutely amazed at what happens next," Anderson says.

A Chinese saying goes, "There's no pleasure in eating without meat." And the data backs that up: every year, China consumes 26 percent of the world's meat and 45 percent of its seafood — numbers that could grow alongside rising incomes. Impact investor Tao Zhang shows why getting Chinese consumers to switch to plant-based alternatives is vital to tackling climate change and explores how it's also a massive business opportunity to bring tasty, affordable new proteins to market.

Climate innovation leader Rich Powell dives into the bureaucracy, bottlenecks and not-in-my-backyard attitude preventing the US from achieving its green energy goals, warning that we need about 10,000 new clean energy projects to be built in the US this decade if we're to reach net zero by 2050. Learn more about what's needed to fight NIMBYism, get serious about the energy transition — and get out of our own way.

All jobs, especially those held by frontline workers, should have dignity and the ability to turn into great careers, says change management expert Adriann Negreros. From shift flexibility to ending work on time, he outlines what he calls the "handbook of humanity" — people-centered ideas for change, rooted in empathy — that, when implemented, can redefine the nature of frontline work.

"Everybody pees and poops — and we know that urine and stool contain a rich source of information on our health," says data detective Newsha Ghaeli. Exploring the growing field of wastewater epidemiology, she shows how studying sewage can (anonymously) reveal a lot about the collective well-being of our cities — leading to real-time quality-of-life improvements like tracking pandemics, updating social policies and much more.